Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Mentioning that night she got drunk, Leda touched her nose with a hint of embarrassment.

"It was all my mom's fault, insisting I attend this so-called youth mixer. It was basically a speed dating dinner in disguise."

The young men and women were like items on display, laid out for selection.

Nola was great in every way, except for being a bit of a worrywart.

Going on about how 'unequal matches never work out' and 'love can't survive on empty pockets,' blah blah blah...

Leda was over it.

After the last visit home, she laid down the law with Nola: she could consider matches of similar social standing, but the final choice was hers to make.

In return, Nola had to swear off arranging any more blind dates or mixers behind her back.

Roseanne: "Choose for yourself?"

"Yeah, as long as the guy's family isn't broke, my mom's cool with it. Easy, I'll just pick from our circle!"

"You're really going to pick?"

Roseanne blinked.

one among these men who would dote on

all from influential families; why should I, a grown man, lower myself to

face my mom. But I'm not picking a

of us in our circle being pushed into marriage. Since none of us want to follow

on a show in public, pretend we're together, and then do our own thing

freedom on the side. A win-win. Roseanne still urged her to think it through, not

worry, I

moment when Leda

it

the bill every

"Right, my little heiress."

reached out to pinch Roseanne's

to yourself in public,

way

Reynolds, a

call made them both halt and instinctively look in the direction of

some with streaks of gray, neady

the center of attention

contrast to the surrounding